Kiss with a Fist
by dustandshadows14
Summary: Draco is having dreams about Hermione. He eventually accepts his attraction to dream!hermione but can't accept his attraction to real Hermione. Maybe a few more dreams will convince him otherwise. First fic. Read and review
1. Curious

**(A/N Ok this is my first fan fiction and I'm super excited to hear everyone's reviews. My biggest fear is that no one will read this, so even if you think it's bad please leave a review. Tell me if Draco is out of character or if it's just plain boring. I want to know! Oh and also a disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter)**

_I watched as Granger stomped furiously towards me. Her lips were set in a harsh line and I could see the fury in her eyes. I smirked, mainly because I knew it would infuriate her more. She stopped about 6 feet in front of me and my smirk grew. I knew which buttons to push that would make her cry, and I intended to push them. _

"_Look at him blubber," I said referring to Hagrid. "It's pathetic. He calls himself a teacher!" I heard Crabbe and Goyle chuckle faintly behind me. Her fists clenched and I knew the waterworks would come shortly. The next moment passed slowly as she took two short strides, lifted her arm, and punched me square on the nose. I staggered backwards clumsily. The shock on my face surely showed because Granger was grinning. _

"Wake up," said Blaise. "You're going to be late for the Hogsmeade trip and I really don't want to hang out with Pansy alone. I would rather not play '20 Questions about Draco' today." Blaise paused to make sure that I was up. I grunted in reply and I waited until I could hear the door close behind him before I got out of bed. My head was pounding as if Granger had actually punched me in the face. I decided to address the issue of me actually having a dream about the Mud-Blood after I had coffee. I got dressed in the dark forest green coat my mother had bought me for my birthday and then I headed down to the common room.

I heard a shrill, high-pitched voice yell, "Draco! Hurry up darling!" I groaned out loud as my head throbbed with every word she said.

"Lemme just get my coffee," I mumbled, hoping that Pansy wouldn't speak again until my headache was gone. As we walked to Hogsmeade, the warm coffee helped subside the pounding in my head and by the time we got to Hogsmeade I could almost stand Pansy's voice. The weather outside was dreadfully cold and I had forgotten my gloves. As I took a sip of my coffee I wondered why Granger had suddenly popped up in my dream. The incident had happened in third year and I hadn't thought about it in a very long time. The only comfort I could find was that Weasley and Potter weren't in it. The thought of them haunting my dreams made me shudder.

"Draco darling get your head out of the clouds! I want to have a nice day and I can't do that when you are moping around," said Pansy as she gave me her signature pout. I took one last gulp of the scalding hot coffee and then I threw it away.

"You shouldn't pout like that Pansy. It really isn't attractive," I said with a smirk. She narrowed her eyes at me and gave out a loud "Hmph" before walking away. I knew that I would pay for that later but it was too late now. Draco Malfoy does not apologize. I headed over to Blaise, who had walked ahead once Pansy tried talking to me. He was talking to Crabbe about the new Chaser, Vaisey. I feigned interest and put in a few odd remarks so that it seemed as if I was paying attention. I was still trying to decide why the memory of Granger punching me had shown up in my dreams nearly three years later. It had started to rain so our group of Slytherins turned towards 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' and we headed in. I was reading the tin of "Henry's Warming Salve". It claimed that after spreading the cream on your hands it would keep your hands warm throughout any weather. I was debating getting it when the bell above the door chimed alerting me that someone had arrived. A cool wind blew through the open door and I shuddered. I looked up to see who had come in and there she was in a black pea coat. Her face was rosy from the cold and her hair was a giant bush behind her. I felt the urge to torture Granger today so I put down the salve and walked her way. She was looking around for someone and she didn't notice me getting close to her until I was almost in her face. Once she laid eyes on me she gave a little jump and then tried to act as if it was an odd cough.

"Ahem," she fake-coughed into her sleeve, "what do you want Malfoy?" I could hear the hatred in her voice.

I ignored her question and said, "If you're here for your little boyfriend Ron he isn't here. That pitiful excuse for a wizard couldn't afford this place."

"For your information I am here to buy a present for someone," she said as she brushed past me to walk further into the store. I had not gotten the reaction I had expected so I tried to make her angry.

"Are you buying a proper broom for Weasley? God only knows how much he needs it. I saw him at the last game and it was more than I could handle. He's a joke," I stated. She continued to ignore me and was looking at the items on the shelves. My jibes about Weasley weren't bothering her so I tried a different approach. "Who's the present for?"

That question made her look up. She warily said, "Harry. I'm getting him something for Christmas."

I narrowed my eyes at her and then said, "Well what are you going to get him in here? Boy Wonder probably already has everything he needs from here. He is the Quidditch Captain after all."

"Well so are you, but you still come here," she answered. "Anyways why would you care what I get for Harry?"

I gave her a smirk before saying, "If it's not Weasley's babies you want it must be Potter's, and there is no way you're getting shagged by Potter if you're buying him," I paused for a moment to see what she was holding, "socks covered in Snitchs." The look of pure shock that passed over her features delighted me greatly. She gave me a look of indignation and opened her mouth to speak, but I turned around and left before she could. I put one galleon and a sickle on the counter, picked up the warming salve, and left the store without a look back.


	2. Almost

**(A/N: Here's chapter 2! I was going to put a kissing scene in here, but I decided it was too early :/. P.S I do love reviews… very much ) **

I rubbed the warming salve onto my hands and they immediately began to tingle. The warmth spread through my hands quickly and I was very thankful to Henry, whoever he was. I made a mental note to bring it to the next Quidditch game. I didn't really feel like shopping and since Pansy was mad at me I figured I could leave. I started walking back to the castle as the slow rain turned into a light snow. _Thank God _I thought to myself _it's almost holiday break and it hasn't even snowed yet. _There was a content silence in the air as the snow slowly muffled all the sounds around me. I headed towards the lake. It wasn't cold enough for the lake to freeze over so the giant squid was lazily playing in the water. There was a tree by the lake that I sat against as I watched the water lightly lap the shores. I could feel my eyes drooping as the effects of my coffee wore off.

_I was walking to the Astronomy tower at midnight. I came here to think every once in a while. The stars outside were very bright and they comforted me mildly. I could see the brightest star and I knew it was Draco; my father had named me after it. The thought of my father made my stomach clench up. He had disgraced the Malfoy name and he wanted me to work for the Dark Lord. I could feel the needle pricks of angry tears in the back of my eyes. I took out my wand and hexed the wall furiously. It made no marks, but I instantly felt better. I was being weak. I quickly composed myself. I hadn't cried since I was little. As I reminisced, a kneazly cat trotted into the room. I didn't notice him until a bushy haired brunette followed. I quickly stood up as a looked into Granger's face. Shock passed over her features. _

_She got an angry look in her eyes before saying, "Why are YOU here?" _

_I grimaced before answering, "I don't need to give YOU an explanation! This is as much my Astronomy Tower as it is yours! Besides I was here first, so you better leave." _

_She briskly walked over to me before slapping me hard across the face. "You are such an asshole. You act like you are better than everyone just because of your father! But now you're nothing without him. You don't have any control over anyone." _

_I was furious now. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT MY FATHER!" I bellowed. My voice lowered to a menacing whisper as I said, "You know nothing you stupid girl." I spat the word stupid at her before turning on my heels and walking away. _

_The scene changed around us. Now we were outside by the Quidditch Pitch. "You can call me bushy-haired, buck-toothed, and ugly but you cannot call me stupid!" she yelled. She took a few steps towards me until we were chest to chest. I could feel her heartbeat and when I exhaled her hair moved. She was glaring at me with hate in her eyes. I took a slow long breath and said, "You are stupid." _

_SMACK! I swear the sound of her slapping me echoed. Her hand was in the air beside my head and I grabbed it. I was holding her wrist so tight that she whimpered. I pulled her closer to me before leaning down until my mouth was at her ear. I softly whispered, "You're gonna pay for that." I felt her shudder as my breath hit her ear and neck. I brought my head back until our noses were touching. I heard her breath hitch in her throat as she looked into my eyes. I leaned forward ever so slightly. She looked at me and then did the same. Our lips were centimeters apart. _

I jarred awake as the cold of snow touched my skin.

"What the fuck was that?" I thought. Granger was getting into my head.

"What the fuck was what?" asked Blaise. I jumped a little when I noticed he was there.

"None of your business," I replied while glaring at him. "Why are you here? Do you have some fascination with watching me sleep? Because I have to tell you Blaise, although I am flattered, I am not that kind of guy."

He gave a light chuckle before saying, "Neither am I. I just wanted to let you know that you owe me one."

I narrowed my eyes before warily asking, "Why would I 'owe you one'?"

"Because your little girlfriend, Pansy, was going to murder you for leaving Hogsmeade and I saved you. I told her that you were going to get her a Christmas present."

"That's no help at all! Now I have to get her a gift," I grumbled. As an afterthought I said, "And she's not my girlfriend."

"Then what is she?" he asked with a snobbish tone.

"Snogging buddy?" I answered.

He gave another light chuckle before helping me up. I dusted the snow off of my coat and I wrapped my green scarf around my head. "You got me into this, so you better help me pick a sodding good gift."

"Girls love jewelry," he said in a helpful tone.

"Thanks Oh Wise One," I said sarcastically. "It's a wonder why you don't have a snogging buddy yet." We walked towards the castle, and we got there within minutes. The warmth was welcoming, and I felt the tip of my nose beginning to defrost. On our way to the common room we split up. I headed up to my dorm and plopped down on my bed. I had been momentarily distracted by Blaise's arrival, but now that I was alone the fact that I had dreamt about Granger AGAIN sunk in. What would have happened if the snow hadn't woke me up. Surely I wasn't leaning in to kiss the Mudblood. That was a ridiculous thought which I sent away immediately as I started to work on a potions essay. Soon I was engrossed in the properties of lovage that I forgot completely about the two dreams about Granger. When I finished it was getting dark outside so I headed upstairs for dinner. I could smell my favorite food, Shepard's pie. I sat down next to Crabbe and I listened to Pansy drone about her shopping trip. She had completely forgotten that earlier today I had insulted her, although that was probably due to Blaise's "helping". Dinner was over quickly and dessert was delicious. I walked back to the common room with Pansy as she continued talking about her day. We sat on the couch with my head in her lap. She stroked my hair as she talked about the holidays. I was almost lulled to sleep by the constant stroke of her fingers on my hair, but I resisted when I remembered what had happened the last two times I fell asleep.

"Draco, are you listening?" Pansy asked with a furrow in her brow. "I've asked you three times now what you are doing for the holidays."

The truth was I had no idea what I was doing for the holidays. I didn't really want to go home, but I had never stayed at Hogwarts before. I hadn't really discussed it with my mother, but I knew that she wanted my home, especially because my father wouldn't be. The thought of my father made me tense, and it reminded me of my dream earlier in the day.

Pansy had noticed that I had become tense and said, "What's wrong?" I ignored her question and got up. She watched me walk away with an expression like a kicked puppy. I grimaced because it made her look more like a pug than usual. I walked up to the boy's dormitory, and I knew that she would be worried that she had done something wrong the whole night. I laid down on my bed with a big "THUMP" and I stared at the top of my bunk for a while. Other students had inscribed their name onto it along with a tiny note.

One read _BOC 1990- I turned Dumbledore's beard red so he looked like that ugly Weasley boy. _Another one said – _KAR 1962- My girlfriend and I did it for the first time here. _ That note made me jump out of my bed and run to the shower.

I decided that a nice warm shower would wash away any tension that I had. I turned the water on and locked the door. As I took off my clothes the mirror started to fog up. I stepped in, and I relished in the feel of the warm droplets hitting my skin. I stayed in there for about thirty minutes as I just felt the water running across the hard planes of my body. I pushed my fingers through my hair. My hair gel had washed out long ago, and I could now feel the soft silk around my hands. I heard people walking into the dorm, and I decided that it was a good time to stop. I turned the knobs off and stepped out of the shower. I shook my hair so that it sent little drops flying everywhere. I cast a drying spell on myself before getting dressed. The shower had soothed the pounding headache I had harbored since this morning. I laid down and I could feel the drowsiness wash over me. I tried to resist for just a bit longer, but I soon gave in. I closed my eyes, and I was enveloped by sleep within seconds. My plan to drink a Dreamless Sleep Draught had gone out the door.


	3. Snow

**Author's Note: It snowed for the first time this December! I was so excited that I started this chapter, and I finished within two days. Hopefully it doesn't seem rushed. I really liked Draco's dream this chapter. Please read and review. I'm going to try and write another chapter before Christmas, but if not Happy Holidays! P.S I almost made it to my goal of 2,500 words. These chapters must be longer!**

_There was a blanket of snow on the ground. Every step I took caused a soft crunch come from under my foot. In front of the castle were a hundred snowmen and snowwomen. They were talking to each other as they gestured wildly with their stick arms. As I walked towards them they started to melt. I quickly retreated so as not to ruin the beautiful sight. One snowman was missing half of it's head because of me. I walked down the line while keeping a safe distance away. There was one snowwomen that caught my attention. She was wearing a bright yellow scarf, and she was animatedly talking to another snowwoman. The other snowwoman had turnips for buttons instead of coal, she immediately reminded me of someone I knew. I watched curiously as they talked to each other. There was nothing particularly interesting about these two snowwomen, but I was intrigued. I immediately tried to figure out a way to get close to them. I covered myself in snow, and I ignored the cold sting that came with it. I walked experimentally towards another group of snowmen. As soon as I came within ten feet of them, they melted. I frowned as they slowly turned into slush. I retreated back to a safe distance and pondered how I could stop this from happening. I cast a cooling charm on myself and walked towards another group of snowmen. They too melted. I was getting quite frustrated at this point. I walked back to my spot and sat down with a thump. I watched the two snowwoman for a little longer. The more they talked to each other the more I wanted to hear their conversation. I angrily got up and paced around. I was so frustrated by my inability to get closer. I dropped to my knees and pounded the ground with my fists. Clumps of snow flew into the air as I continually beat the ground. I didn't stop for a few minutes and when I did tears were streaming down my face. I looked up to see the captivating snowwoman looking at me oddly. She shuffled towards me. Once she got close to me she started to melt. I got scared by the thought of her turning in to slush like the other snowmen. I quickly got up and started to run away. I tripped clumsily, and I watched, horrified, her melt before me. I closed my eyes tight and waited for ten seconds before opening them again. In front of me was a brown eyed beauty. Her hair fell in soft waves, and her yellow scarf was wrapped tightly around her. Her smile was warm as she took my hand. There was still snow on her, but she was no longer wrapped in it. She beckoned to her friend to come closer. The turnip snowwoman shuffled towards me and this time I watched as the snow melted off of her. First I saw her pale, blond hair and then her silvery grey eyes. I instantly recognized her, but I couldn't remember from where. I silently followed the brown haired girl as she walked briskly towards the Forbidden Forest. We reached the edge of the woods before she spoke. _

"_There's a fire within you, that's why you melted all the others," she said firmly. _

"_Why didn't I melt you?" I asked. _

"_I'm different. I have a fire to match you."_

"_Who are you?" My voice took on a pleading tone. I wanted to know who this beauty was. Something about her captivated me, and I couldn't tear myself away. She was entrancing. _

"_You know me, but you refuse to acknowledge it," she said softly. A lone tear ran down her face. I brought my hand up to wipe the tear away. My hand brushed across her soft, rosy cheek and when I took it away snow had appeared on her face. I wiped away the snow, only to have more appear within seconds. The more I tried to get rid of it, the more snow appeared. The whole left side of her face was covered in snow. I was beginning to get frantic. _

"_What do I do?" _

"_You know me Draco! Why do you refuse to admit it?" Tears were running down her face leaving trails of wetness. I watched as they slowly iced over. _

"_I would never deny knowing you."_

"_But you do!" The tears had stopped and she looked at me with venom in her eyes. "Admit it! Admit that you like me." _

"_I do. I do like you, very much so. I would like you more if I knew your name." It was snowing again, and I watched in horror as the tiny snowflakes stuck to her skin. _

"_You may admit that you like me, but you won't admit liking the real me. You like me in your mind, but not in the real world," she said as tears began to form, once again, at the corners of her eyes. I tried to respond to her, but I was speechless. I had no idea what she was talking about. The snow had started to envelop her, and her face was slowly being covered in snow. Her wide, brown eyes peered at me as the last bit of snow covered her face. _

My eyes shot open. I was staring once again at the carvings in my bed. My covers had moved around me in my sleep. I groggily surveyed my surroundings and saw that it was really early in the morning probably around four. All of my dorm mates were still in their bunks, and I heard loud snores coming from Crabbe's bunk. As I lay in bed it dawned on me that the girl in my dream was Hermione Granger. I grabbed a handful of hair in each hand before letting out an exasperated sigh. I had once again dreamed about her. A burst of cold air came through an open window and made me shiver. "What idiot left that open?" I grumbled softly as I got out of bed and walked towards it. A lone snowflake drifted through the window and landed on my shirt. I watched it melt instantly. The cold air that drifted through the window cleared my head immediately. I put my elbows on the sill before putting my head outside. The Slytherin dormitories were in the dungeons, so the view wasn't great. The window was barely twenty feet off the ground. I looked out across the white plain of snow at the Forbidden Forest in the distance. I tried to find the spot where I had talked to the dream Granger, but it was useless. I gave another sigh as I pushed my hand through my pale blond hair. I thought about taking another shower to clear my head, but decided against it. I needed to think thoroughly about why I have been dreaming about Granger. She had unexplainably jumped into my head and attacked my dreams with a passion. She was a weed that grew stronger with every dream I had. I closed the window softly and headed back to my bed. Goyle gave a loud grunt that made me jump. I climbed into bed and gathered the sheets up around me to chase away the goose pimples that had appeared. I warmed up quickly, and I began to get drowsy yet again. As I closed my eyes I thought about Granger, and how maybe it wasn't so bad if I dreamt about her again.

"Draco, wake up," Blaise said as he threw open the curtains that sheltered my bed from the light. I groaned and turned over.

"Lemme sleep some more," I grumbled. My slumber had been dreamless. I had no more dreams of Granger, and I couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit disappointed.

"No," Blaise said simply. He levitated me out of my bed and dropped me mercilessly on the floor.

"I never asked you to be my personal alarm clock, so bugger off already," I snapped. I got up and brushed myself off while glaring at Blaise. He indifferently looked at his hands. I muttered to myself as I got dressed. A few choice curse words about Blaise passed over my lips in that time. He waited until I was ready before heading down to the common room. Not too many people were down there as breakfast was starting soon. We rushed to the Great Hall and ate breakfast in silence. The day passed quickly and dully. Soon I was back in the common room with my fellow Slytherins. I had been unusually quiet all day and a few people noticed.

"What's wrong Draky?" Pansy drawled as she stroked my arm.

"Nothing," I grumbled as I shook her arm off. She gave me a wounded look. I had been too harsh on Pansy lately. "Just the winter holidays coming up. That's all." Pansy instantly brightened up. "What are you doing during winter break?" I asked.

"Well, I'm going home, but…." Every few seconds I would add in a "yeah","oh", or "uh-huh". She didn't notice that I wasn't listening and continued to tell me her plans for the next ten minutes. I continued to stare at the fire. All I could think about was Granger! Not only was she infecting my dreams, she was taking over my head during the day. I had shared no classes with her today, but she was all I thought about during them. What was going to happen when she was in a class with me? I needed to clear my head somehow. I told Pansy I was going for a walk, and I walked briskly out of the portrait hole. I had no destination in mind as I mindlessly walked the hallways. I focused on the tapping of my feet on the stone instead of Granger. Soon I was standing in front of the library.

"Traitors!" I whispered to my feet menacingly. I walked inside the library to see that it was nearly deserted. There were a few Hufflepuff girls and a second year Slytherin boy that I recognized to be Ted Ling. I headed towards one of the shelves and picked a book. I sat down and looked at the cover; it was Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches. Perfect just perfect, why is that even here in the library anyway? I took a quick peek at the inside cover of the book, and I saw that it was the property of Ronald Weasley. I let out a soft chuckle as I thought about Weasley trying to pick up girls. I put the idiot's book back on the shelf and picked up another book. It was One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. It was perfectly boring, and it easily distracted me from my Granger obsession. I was reading about aconite, a plant we had learned about in third year, when I heard a familiar voice.

"I have the books that I checked out last week, Madam Pince," said the voice. I looked up to see Granger. She obviously hadn't noticed me because she was beaming.

"Great, just who I was trying to avoid," I muttered to myself. Although coming to the library wasn't the best place to go when trying to avoid the Human Encyclopedia. She must have heard me because she whirled around and glared at me.

"Why exactly were you trying to avoid me?" she said defiantly.

"Don't flatter yourself Granger. I try to avoid all Gryffindors," I drawled haughtily.

"You were trying to avoid me personally I can tell by the way you said it," she paused for a moment. "And for your information I would not like to have Ron's or Harry's babies." I gave her a bewildered look before remembering our conversation yesterday.

"Well whose babies would you like to have then?" I had no idea why I had asked that question. She blushed furiously and sat down across from me.

"Why are you so interested anyway?" she asked. I noticed she had avoided the question. I had also noticed that her question had made me blush a little.

"Believe me I could care less who you shag," I answered indifferently, but it was a lie. The thought of her and Ginger together made me grimace. "You avoided my question," I pointed out.

"Well it's none of your business anyways." The dark blush returned to her cheeks, and I decided I rather liked it there.

"Well it's not like you have many choices in Gryffindor," I commented. Her cheeks had faded back to a normal color.

She looked up at me before saying sarcastically," Oh and the choices are so much better in Slytherin?"

"I'd say so," I said before standing up. I grabbed my book and put it back on the shelf. I walked over to her side of the table, and I leaned down until my mouth was close to her ear. "But there's only one way to find out," I whispered softly. She whipped her head around at my words, and I saw the blush return to her cheeks. We were inches apart, and I could see every fleck in her brown eyes. I gave her a sly wink which, to my delight, made her blush even more. I stood up and walked towards the hallway. I could feel her gaze on the back of my head. As I walked back to the Slytherin common room, I realized that my conversation with Granger was quite draining. I was very drowsy and quite ready to sleep. I muttered the password to the portrait, and it swung open. The common room was nearly empty except for a few snogging couples.

I headed up the stairs with heavy feet, and I barely changed into my pajamas before I collapsed into bed. The day's happenings washed over me, and I lingered on my conversation with Granger. The way every mention of sex made her blush was endearing. A Slytherin girl wouldn't blink twice at the word, but Granger was so much more innocent than that. I closed my eyes as I almost hoped that tonight's dreams would have Granger in it. I had to admit that the lack of dreams this morning had left me disappointed. I liked Dream Granger very much. In fact I think I liked real Granger.


	4. Caught

**Author's Note: Here is my first chapter for Hermione! I prefer writing from Draco's POV, which is weird since I'm a girl. Hope you liked the kissing scene, but, alas, it twas only a dream. I reached my goal of 2,500 words! woot woot! I want to thank everyone who favorited my story and added it to their alert list. *does a little happy jig* I know feel obligated to write more. As always read and review. Enjoy! **

"But there's only one way to find out," he whispers softly. His velvety voice sends chills down my spine, and I whip my head around to look at him. His eyes are pale grey and stunning. He is so close, and I can feel my cheeks betray me as they flush with color. As he stands up straight and walks away I can't help but wonder why he is affecting me so much. I had been a blushing buffoon the whole conversation, and I was sure he had noticed. I stare at the back of his arrogant blonde head until he is out of sight. I would bet anything that his face is set in a smirk.

I take my books out of my bag and set them on the table with a thump. Madam Pince looks up sharply at the sound, but softens once she sees it is me. I push Malfoy out of my mind as I immerse myself in my book. As the night wears on the number of students in the library dwindles. I stifle a yawn as I read. A few seconds later I feel another yawn come on. I re-read the same sentence twice as my eyes begin to droop. After re-reading the same sentence about aconite five times I give in. I am tired, and I need to get some sleep. I pack my things up and walk over to the entrance. Madam Pince is fast asleep with her head in a book. She is letting out soft snores, and her glasses are askew. I quickly conjure a blanket and set it softly around her shoulders.

The hallways are quiet, except for the soft tapping of my shoes on the hard stone. I'm in front of the Fat Lady within minutes. One eye opens slightly to peer at me and then closes quickly as she pretends to be asleep. She pretends to wake up with a start before letting out an exaggerated yawn.

"My, my, a prefect out of bed so late!" she says with mock horror.

"Just let me in," I say, exasperated.

"Password?" She lets out another embellished yawn.

"Facta, non verba." I am rewarded when the portrait hole swings open. I climb through and see that the common room is empty. I walk up to my dorm and plop down on my bed. I'm exhausted, but I know that if I don't mentally run through my day my sleep will be troubled. It had been uneventful. Ron singed his eyebrows off during Potions, much to my annoyance. He should have been paying attention, but I regrew it for him anyway. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened until the library.

The thought of Malfoy makes my heart skip a beat. What iss wrong with me? Sure, Malfoy is attractive, but he is arrogant. He had never been nice to me once, yet every word that had come out of his mouth had made me blush. The thought of me blushing because of Malfoy angers me. He had no right to treat me badly for five years and then make me blush like some idiot schoolgirl. My breathing had become erratic. Great, he had gotten me all worked up and he wasn't even near me. I take a few deep breaths as I compose myself. My eyes are drooping, and I barely have time to get under the covers before sleep claims me.

_I stare in disgust as Ron wolfs down his porridge. He looks up and sees my expression. _

"_Wha'," he says with a mouthful of food. _

"_You've got all the table manners of a dog," I say, grimacing as a clump of porridge falls out of his mouth and back into his bowl. He gives me a wounded expression before resuming eating. The owls fly in, and I waity expectantly for the Daily Prophet. A surprisingly small tawny flies over to me and drops the newspaper into my hand. I give it three sickles and watch as it flies away lopsidedly. I open the paper and scan it for the deaths of anyone we know. _

"_Anything?" Harry asks warily. _

"_Nope, everything is ok," I say cheerily. I store the newspaper in my bag and resume eating. As we chat a large, golden owl flies towards us. It lands on the edge of Ron's porridge bowl, dumping it into his lap. The glint in the owl's eye makes me think it had spilled Ron's porridge on purpose. It lifted its leg and clucked impatiently at me. I take the note off and tuck it into my robes. Something tells me I shouldn't open it in front of Ron or Harry. I point my wand at Ron and say "Scourgify" with a lazy flick. The porridge disappears off of him. _

"_Bloody owl," he mutters to himself as he reaches for more porridge. It vanishes before he can get it into his bowl, and I let out a soft chuckle at his crestfallen expression. The whole walk to Transfiguration Ron complained about how he would be starving until lunch. I roll my eyes at his hunger-driven brain. We sit down, and Ron and Harry began discussing Quidditch. _

_I hate when they do that. I always feel left out. _

_I lean over to get my textbook out of my bag when a small piece of paper floats softly to the ground. I pick it up and realize that it was the note the owl had brought. I make sure that Harry and Ron are completely engrossed in their conversation before I read it. _

_Hermione,_

_Meet me at the Astronomy Tower at half past nine. _

_I frown. I check the front and back of it in search of a name, but no luck. If the writer was too cowardly to write their name, then I wouldn't go. I tuck it back into my robes and get out my textbook. Professor McGonagall walks in and dives right into the lesson. Harry and Ron hadn't noticed Professor McGonagall's arrival, and they continued talking. I elbow Ron sharply in the ribs. _

"_Bloody hell, Hermione! That hu-," a stern glare from Professor McGonagall quickly silences him. His ears turn bright red and he mumbles a "sorry Professor" before getting out his textbook. Transfiguration passes quickly, to my disappointment. We head to lunch, and as soon as we enter the Great Hall Ron's stomach gives an appreciative growl. Harry and I laugh._

_Ron eats more than enough to make up for his loss at breakfast. By the time Double Potions with the Slytherins comes around, we are all in a good mood. _

"_Today we will be brewing an Elixir to Induce Euphoria," says Professor Slughorn brightly. He waves his wand, and the instructions appear on the board. I get started right away, and I am done before the end of the second period. Ron's concoction had turned a garish green and he was panicking. I forgot a vial, so I head up to the front of the classroom. I pick up a vial and a stopper and turn around. _

"_Ah," I yelp as I come face to chest with Malfoy. He smirks at my fear. "What do you want," I pause searching for an insult, "git?" I curse myself for saying something so lame. _

"_A vial." He reaches over me and grabs a vial. I take in a sharp breath as his arm brushes against mine. He looks into my eyes and gives a soft chuckle. He turns around to leave, and I exhale, relieved. He turns around sharply and says, "Boo!" _

_I jump and give him an angry look. _

"_Do I frighten you, Granger?" he drawls. _

"_Shut up, Malfoy," I retort as I walk back to my seat. I bottle my perfectly yellow potion and label it. Slughorn beams at me once I give it to him. Ron comes up next with his head hung low. Slughorn takes one look at Ron's vial and frowns. _

"_Good try m'boy. Maybe next time," he says in an encouraging tone. Ron grimaces._

_We walk to the Great Hall in silence. Ron's mood has shifted back to unhappy. _

_He sees that it is Sheppard's pie and brightens up instantly. That boy loves food way too much. After eating four pies, he leans back and rubs his belly contently. _

"_Hey, 'Mione, reckon you can help me with the Potion's essay?" he asks hopefully. Once again his expression reminds me of a puppy. _

"_Sure." Ron grins. All the food on the table Vanishes and is replaced by dessert. Ron's eyes light up and, he begins eating treacle tart. Soon the dessert Vanishes, and we head up to the common room. I sit down in my favorite armchair by the fire. I curl up with a book and ignore the bantering of Harry and Ron. They are trying to write their essays for D.A.D.A, something I refused to do for them, and they are arguing about Inferi._

_Idiots. _

_I close my book and get up. "I'm going for a walk," I tell them. They continue to argue. _

_I walk out of the portrait hole. The Fat Lady inquires where I am going, but I ignore her. I don't have a place in mind. Sometimes it's nice to just walk the corridors of Hogwarts and look at all the paintings. _

_There is one of a man trying to pull a sword out of a stone. He is wearing armor that is too big on him, and his helmet is askew. I laugh as he gives a particularly hard tug on the sword which sends him reeling backwards. He glares at me and continues in his efforts._

_I continue walking down the corridors. I walk up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower and go over to the ledge. The stars are barely visible. _

"_You came." I whip around to see who had spoken. _

"_Malfoy?" I say surprised. "What are you doing here?" _

"_I didn't expect you to come. I didn't sign the note." I notice that he avoided my question. _

"_That note was from you? I forgot about it I just came up here to think." Maybe my sub-conscious remembered about the note and brought me up here at the right time. I was slightly curious. "Why did you send me that note anyway?" I ask warily. _

_He takes a few steps forward. We are close, and every breath I take causes his shirt to move. "I wanted to see you." His words send a shiver down my spine. Why would he want to see me?_

_My voice has conveniently left me. "Why?" I croak. I flinch at how rough my voice sounds. _

_He smirks. "Why not?" _

"_That's not a good answer," I say firmly. _

_He grabs my face with his hands and forces me to look into his eyes. They are a stunning silvery grey that take my breath away. I don't understand why he's doing this. He leans down and captures my lips. I feel my body stiffen in surprise. His lips are surprisingly soft and gentle. I feel his tongue flick across my upper lip, and I give an involuntary moan. He uses that to his advantage and he slips his tongue into my mouth. A small gasp escapes my lips. Merlin, he's good. I don't want to fight it anymore. Tentatively I probe my tongue into his mouth. This time he groans. _

_I wrap both of my hands around the back of his neck to pull him in closer. I break for air, and he trails kisses down my neck. "Is that a good enough reason for you?" he murmurs softly. I bring him back to my lips. _

"_Definitely," I say. I feel him smile against my lips. I gently grab his lower lip in my teeth. I tug downwards which elicits a groan. Once again his tongue slips into my mouth. Merlin, I never want to stop. Everything I've learned in Hogwarts has been parlor tricks. The things his mouth can do, that's magic. _

"Hermione! Are you okay?" Lavender is shaking me violently. I open my eyes to see her worried face.

"Wha'," I ask groggily.

"It seemed like you were having a bad dream. You were groaning and-," she paused when she saw my face flush with color. "Or maybe it was a very, very good one," she said knowingly. "Sorry to wake you I didn't know." She walked back over to her bed.

Oh Merlin. I was dreaming about Malfoy. Kissing Malfoy. This wasn't right! I get dressed quickly and head downstairs. Harry and Ron are waiting for me near the portrait hole. I have trouble looking into their eyes as I think about Malfoy.

"Where'd you go last night 'Mione?" Harry asks. I blush furiously as I remember my conversation with Draco.

"Library," I murmur. He doesn't notice the color on my cheeks and accepts my answer easily. I eat breakfast in silence as I ponder my dream. Dreams don't mean anything. If I dreamed about Dobby it doesn't mean I like him. I probably only dreamed about him because of our conversation late last night. Yeah, that's it.

I tried to eat breakfast without thinking about him, but it didn't work. He had captured my brain, and he wasn't letting go. The whole day he was on my mind. If he was half as good at kissing as he was in my dream, I could put apart our differences. A voice in the back of my head reminded me that he didn't like me. Well I don't like him so it doesn't matter.

"Are you okay? You've been spacey all day," asks Harry, concerned. Lavender, who is sitting a few chairs over, grins at me. Ugh, why does she have to know about my dream? At least she doesn't know who it was about.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just at the library late last night," I answer. He gives me a small nod of understanding.

"Find anything interesting?" I can tell he's just asking to be nice.

"No. I didn't get much reading in. Malfoy was there." Harry stiffened at the name and looked at me.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. Why would I say that? Now Lavender is going to peace things together. Maybe she's not that smart. Why did I say that?

"Did he mess with you?" asked Ron, frowning. "I swear, if he did I'm going to hex him so hard his git of a father feels it."

"No he didn't do anything, Ron. I don't even know why I mentioned it," I say soothingly. He calms down quite a bit and continues to work on his essay. I continue to read my book. I yawn. Why am I yawning it's only ten o'clock.

"Hermione," Harry says.

"Hmm. What? Yes?" I say lifting my head out of my book. He blinks softly at me.

"You should go to bed. You look really tired."

"You're probably right. See you guys in the morning." I sling my bag over my shoulder and head towards the girl's dormitory.

"G'night 'Mione," Ron says with a furrow in his brow. I can see he's concentrating on his essay. Harry mutters a "good night".

I walk up to my dorm, and I am greeted by an ecstatic Lavender.

"You love Draco," she exclaims proudly. Her eyes are bright and hopeful. Darn she pieced it together.

"I most definitely do not!" I say back. Surprisingly I don't blush at her words.

"Yes you do. You were with Draco last night and then you dreamt about him!"

"I. Do. Not. Like. Draco." I say slowly. Maybe if I deny, deny, deny she'll drop it.

She gives a maniacal grin and says, "Yes you do. Want to know why? You called him Draco. Draco! Not Malfoy or Ferret, Draco!"

Shoot.


	5. Patronus

**Author's Note: Sorry that took me so long. I wrote 10 different dreams for this scene and then I decided that there wasn't going to be a dream sequence this chapter :) I personally love this chapter, very much. There are probably grammatical errors because I am too impatient for reviews to revise. This is the longest a chapter has been for me, and I am very proud. Haha. Sorry if it's a bit of a cliffy. As always... read and review **

A bright patch of sunlight dances across my closed eyes. I stubbornly keep my eyes closed in a feeble attempt to fall back asleep. It doesn't work, and I am forced to open my eyes. The soothing sound of running water meets my ears. Blaise must be taking a shower because Merlin knows Crabbe and Goyle don't. In fact, their smell is one of the reasons I don't hang out with them anymore. Their putrid aroma scared off any of my luck with the ladies.

Why wasn't Granger featured in my dreams last night? I shook my head to get that thought out. I shouldn't care about Granger. Or her beautiful brown eyes and that stunning rosy color that comes to her cheeks. She had blushed so easily at the things I said. Merlin, she was so close that I could have kissed her. The thought makes me groan. I sit up and swing my legs out of the covers so that I'm sitting on the edge of my bed. I run my hands through my hair as I think about her. Could I really be attracted to her? My elbows are on my knees as I stare straight ahead. My gaze is set so intently on the door that I don't even notice the running water has stopped.

"Stop looking at the door like that, Draco. You're gonna make it blush," Blaise says smoothly. I look over my shoulder to see him standing in the bathroom door, a towel wrapped around his waist.

I ignore him and ask, "Are you done in there?" I nod my head in the direction of the bathroom.

"Yeah, whatever. Feel free," he replies lazily with a wave of his hand. I get up, and walk towards the bathroom door. I hope the hot water will wash away all thoughts of Granger. I strip quickly and climb in. The water is scalding, and I wince as it hits my skin. I feel my tense muscles relax.

Why does thinking about Granger make me so tense? I hit my palm against the tiled shower. It makes a loud smack, which reverberates around the bathroom. I can't help the desperate anger that overtakes me. Why her? Another smack against the tiles. Why me? Smack. An anguished cry tears out of my throat. What is happening to me? Since when am I an obsessed schoolgirl? I've been thinking of her non-stop for days.

Fuck. She gets in my head. I need to get her out of my system. I angrily shut off the water and storm out of the shower. I quickly get dressed and I feel Blaise's gaze on the back of my head. I whirl around and snarl, "What?"

"If you think I'm going to talk to you when your like this, then you must think I'm stupid." He puts his hands above his head in mock submission. I put the rest of my clothes on and briskly walk out of the dormitory. I have no reason to be this angry, but my blood is boiling. The common room is nearly empty. Just as I get to the portrait I hear my name being called from across the room.

Damn Pansy. Before I get the chance to snap something back at her I hear Blaise say, "Leave." I listen to his advice and storm out. I know where I'm heading, and I know she'll be there. What I don't know is what I'm going to do when I get to her.

Some way, some how I am going to get her out of my head. I grin maniacally as I see her sitting at the same table we were sitting at just yesterday. Predictable, predictable Granger. I compose myself before walking in.

I sit down next to her, and she looks up in surprise. A beautiful blush spreads across her cheeks as she recognizes me. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she tries to say contemptuously, but her voice wavers. I squint my eyes as I study her face. Am I affecting her? She does seem to be rather nervous.

"You," I say simply. The shock is clearly etched in her face. She doesn't instantly throw up, which is always a good sign. She clears her face of all emotion before replying.

"Shut up. Now what do you really want?" I look down at her paper. I feel her eyes on me when I'm not looking. I pretend to be interested in her paper as I let her study my face. I hear her sigh softly next to me. Is there a possibility that she likes me? I look up quickly and I see a flicker of emotion in her eyes. She looks away quickly.

"You never answered my question," she points out. I can tell she is avoiding looking me in the eyes. I lean back in my chair.

"Maybe I just wanted an intelligent conversation," I reply smoothly. I tip my chair back so that all four legs are back on the ground. I lean forward and whisper into her ear. "Or maybe you shouldn't shake off my first answer as a joke." I lean back into my chair with a smirk. I want to get a reaction out of her. Anything to show that I affect her. I crave a reaction.

"An intelligent conversation?" she says calmly.

"Yeah. You're intelligent I'm intelligent, and we're having a conversation. I realize it must be a new concept for you. Hanging out with Weaselbee and Boy Wonder all the time hasn't given you many chances for one, now has it?" I say with a smirk.

An indignant look crosses her face. Finally she shows some sort of emotion. "Don't make fun of them. Its not like you hang out with the smartest people. Crabbe and Goyle," she scoffs. Her left eyebrow raises in a coy expression.

"I don't hang out with those dolts anymore," I reply lazily. "The smell was getting to me." She stifles a small giggle. I look up at the small sound, and our eyes meet. I can tell by the look she gives me that she's starting to loosen up around me. Good.

"They've smelled for the past six years. Their…odor can't be the only reason you don't hang out with them anymore," she says.

"See? Now this is an intelligent conversation," I comment. "I'll only answer that on one condition."

She squints her eyes at me before asking warily, "What condition?"

"Oh, just a simple one. For every question I answer truthfully, you have to answer one of my questions truthfully." I watch her catch her bottom lip between her teeth as she makes her decision.

She turns to look at me, and there is a challenge in her eyes. "Fair enough."

I gave her a grin before speaking. "Crabbe and Goyle were dolts. I could tell them to jump into the lake and never come up for breath, and they would. Besides, they reminded me of… of my father," I can't hide the hesitation to speak about my dad. I know Granger notices it, but she doesn't comment. "After his," I pause as I search for the word, "absence my mother and I have a different view on things. His view of pureblood superiority faded away with time. Crabbe and Goyle never got over their bigoted views, and I did," I finish simply. I can tell she is studying my face for any sign that I'm lying. I need her to understand that I'm not the same person I was in third year.

"Interesting," she finally says. "What's your question?"

Do you like me the way I like you? I can't ask her that, not yet. But I plan to before our little game is over. "What happened to that crush you obviously had on Weaselbee for the last five years?" Surprisingly her face doesn't turn a crimson color. I can't decide whether or not that's a good sign.

"We tried to make it work over the summer." I feel a spark of jealously in the pit of my stomach. I try to ignore it as she continues her story. "It was mostly snogging." A fire is burning inside of me threatening to consume me. It's getting harder to ignore. "It was just passion. We thought it was love, but there were no underlying feelings. It ended before we came to school, and I haven't had feelings for him since."

"Now for my question." She pretends to ponder what to ask me, but I can tell that she already knows what she is going to ask me. "I know," she says slyly. "What's your patronus?"

I shrug and reply. " I don't know I've never conjured a corporeal one. Believe me I've tried, but all I get is mist." A look of disappointment crosses her face, but is soon replaced by a look of determination.

"I can teach you. Harry taught me last year." Her eyes show how eager she is.

"What makes you think that you're going to be a better teacher than my mother?"

"Well you're mother can do a patronus, right?" I nodded my head. "And you have trouble casting one. I… I had trouble doing one also. It's the only spell I have trouble with," she admits sheepishly. "So maybe I know how to help you a little better than your mother does."

It's not like it could do any harm. Besides, it just means more quality time with her. "Sure. Why not?" I answer. She looks so happy at this moment, and its breathtaking. Those chestnut eyes of hers are filled with the determination to overcome this new challenge.

"Do you want to go practice in the Room of Requirement?"

"Trying to get me alone, now are we, Miss Granger?" I say as I wiggle my eyebrows. She lets out an amused snort. "Yeah, the Room of Requirement would work fine," I reply.

As she packs up her things, I study her through my lashes. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, but a few strands have escaped and are hanging in front of her heart shaped face. She catches her bottom lip between her teeth, and I almost groan. She has no idea how much I want to kiss her right now.

"Okay, we can go now," she says, breaking me of my trance. I get up, and we walk out of the library in silence. "You still have to ask your question."

"Right." I need a safe question to ask her. Nothing that will scare her away, but I still want to learn more about her. We reach the Room of Requirement quickly.

"I'll do it. I have more practice with this sort of thing," she says calmly. I watch her pace in front of the wall, and a door appears. It's a simple, wooden door with a brass doorknob. I walk forward and twist the doorknob.

While making an elaborate bow, I say, "M'lady." She lets out an amused giggle and takes a few strides forward until she is standing right in front of me. Her mouth is turned up into a smile, and her eyes are twinkling with amusement. She lifts her hand with a haughty expression. I take her hand and brush my lips across her knuckles. "Don't push it," I growl.

She twirls around and walks through the door. Over her shoulder she says in a teasing voice, "Wouldn't dream of it." I let out a small chuckle as I close the door behind me. The room is tiled and there is a small brown couch on the left side of the room. Granger is sitting on it admiring her handiwork. "It turned out quite well, don't you think?" she comments almost to herself.

I throw myself down on the opposite side of the couch. "So what now?"

She crosses her legs and thinks for a moment. "Well why don't you try to cast a patronus?" I roll my eyes at her and push myself up.

I focus on the happiest memory I can think of. A flash of gold and cries of victory. "Expecto Patronum!" I say firmly. A few wisps of silver escape from the tip of my wand. I focus harder on the memory of wings beating against me. The wisps of silver solidify into a shield. I focus on the memory intently, but the silvery shield dissipates. My arm is shaking with fatigue, and I'm slightly out of breath. I turn to Granger and wait for her to speak. I wait impatiently as she thinks… and thinks… and thinks.

"Spit it out, Granger," I finally snap at her. She gets a wounded expression on her face, and I have to bite back the apology that almost rolls off my tongue. What the hell is wrong with me? I've never apologized to anyone. Ever. "Why don't you cast a patronus?" I ask.

"Fine," she replies sharply. She stands up and walks over to a spot a few feet away from me. Her eyes squeeze shut in concentration and she mutters, "Expecto Patronum," under her breath. I watch as a silvery otter shoots out the tip of her wand. For a moment it flickers, but when she gets a determined look on her face it solidifies again. I watch it as it lightly floats around the room. As Granger lets out a sigh, the otter disappears.

"What do you think about when you cast a patronus?" I ask nonchalantly. She gives me a surprised look.

"Is that your question?" I nod. "It took me a while to find the perfect one that makes me happy. I decided on August 31st 1991. The day before I left for Hogwarts. I was scared. I'd never been away from my parents for a whole school year. My mom wanted to cheer me up so we went to the zoo. It's this place where Muggles keep exotic animals so other Muggles can see them. It was wonderful. My dad even bought me an ice cream. I'm normally not allowed to because sugar is bad for your teeth, but he made an exception. By the end of the day I was exhausted and content. My mom, she…" she pauses as she blushes. "She tucked me in and kissed my forehead. That day was utterly perfect." Granger looks at her feet as she waits for my response.

"Sounds nice," I reply with a nod of my head. She looks up at me and gives me a tiny smile.

"Maybe you need to find a better memory to concentrate on. It took me many times before I found the memory that created a corporeal patronus. I know my question. What's your happiest memory?" Her normal get-down-to-business tone is back.

"It was my first year on the Slytherin Quidditch team. I had been practicing hard for weeks and the first game against Hufflepuff was coming up quickly. When the day came I pushed off and circled the pitch. After an hour, we were down by a hundred points. I could hear the other players talking about me. They said I was useless and that this game would never be over because of me. I was giving up hope. Then I saw it. The Snitch was only a few feet away, and the other Seeker had no idea. I shot forward and caught it in my hand. I pumped my fist into the air and cheers of victory surrounded me. I could feel the cool metal in my fingers and the beat of wings in my palm. It was a wonderful feeling. Proving the other players wrong." I finish and look at Granger. She's a full head shorter than me, and I realize I have to physically tilt my head down to look at her.

"Surely that's not the happiest memory you can think of?" she replies with a worried look on her face. "There has to be another memory that isn't filled with so much… so much revenge." Her arms are crossed, and she is putting all of her weight on one leg, the leg closest to me. She is only a few inches away from me.

"Well that's the happiest one I can think of," is my only reply. She bites her bottom lip worriedly. I shift my weight so that our bodies are closer together.

"What about memories from home?" she asks as she looks up at me. I stiffen beside her.

"None of my memories from home are happy," I say coldly. A tiny "oh" is her only reply. I know that my memory isn't good enough, but I can't think of any other moment that made me that happy. "I need to make a happier memory," I murmur to myself.

A sarcastic chuckle leaves her lips. "And how exactly do you plan to 'make a happier memory'? You can't exactly do that."

"Challenge accepted," I growl. She looks up at me, and I suddenly know what my happier memory can be. I quickly lean down so that my head is level with hers. Before she has time to process what I'm doing, I brush my lips softly against hers. It's hardly even a kiss, but my lips are left tingling with the contact. As I lean away, I almost think she leans with me, but the moment is soon over. I turn away from her and whisper, "Expecto Patronum." A medium sized dragon shoots out of the tip of my wand. It flies around a bit before disappearing. I look down at Granger to see what her reaction to both the kiss and the patronus. She still has shock etched into her face, but there is another emotion present there. "Granger, are you disappointed?" I say incredulously. She blushes before replying.

"I was hoping that your patronus was going to be a ferret," she says sheepishly.


End file.
